Reel support



April 11, 1950 M. Z. RABINOW REEL SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April2, 1946 INVENTOR MZ. RAB/NOW wfig. fiwum A TTORNEY April 11, 1950 M. 2.RABINOW REEL SUPPORT 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 2, 1946 F/GZ A 7'TORNEV April 1950 M. z. RABINOW 2,504,046

REEL SUPPORT Filed April 2, 1946 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTO/F M Z. RAB/NOWATTORNEY Patented Apr. 11, 1950 .REEL SUPPORT Morris Rabinow, Newark, N.J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application April 2, 1946, Serial No. 659,017

s'jclaims. (Cl. 242-134) This invention relates to reel supportingfixtures, and more particularly to fixture sfor supporting strand orcable supply reels.

In the manufacture of certain types of cables for use in thecommunication arts numerous supply reels containing the electricalconductors with insulations of various color or code com binations mustbe readily accessible to persons forming the cables. It has been foundthat the work in forming such cables can be greatly facilitated bysupporting the supply reels for rotation so that desired quantitiesof-conductors may be readily removed from the reel.

An object of the invention is to provide a fixture capable of readilyreceiving, supporting, and centering the strand supply reel for rotationfor the removal of strand material from the reel.

The fixture in this embodiment of'the inven tion is particularlydesigned for supply reels of insulated conductors for use in formingswitchboard cables. A pair of disks have their inner faces recessed toreceive the heads of a supply reel, one of the disks being rotatablysupported by a fixed position bearing unit. The other disk is rotatablysupported by a similar bearing unit axially aligned with the firstbearing unit and mounted upon a member, the ends of which ride inchannels of a supporting frame structure and are normally urged bysprings to urge the movable disk toward the fixed position disk tofirmly support the supply reel therebetween. A brake element, whichextends across the peripheries of the disks, is pivotally supported bythe supporting frame to rest upon the disks, normally holding themagainst rotation but movable free of the disks by the strand materialbeing pulled from the reel.

Other obiects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of thefixture, portions thereof being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the fixture, portions thereof beingbroken away; and

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the fixture, portions thereofbeing shown in section.

Referring now to the drawingsif'attention is first directed to the reell having heads H and filled with a supply of strand material l2, which,in the present instance, is an insulated electrical conductor. Thefixture includes disks l4 and I5 which are substantially identical-instructure, recesses 16 and I! being formed in their inner surfaces tocompletely receive theheads ll of 2 the reel and to center the heads ofthe reel with the common center line of the disks.

A main frame indicated generally at I8 is composed of vertical members19 with bent upper ends 2!] apertured to receive mounting bolts 2| formounting the frame to a suitable support 22. Channel members 24 and 25are disposed laterally between the vertical members l9, and, if desired,the ends of the channel members may be welded to the vertical members.Connecting bolts 26 extend through apertures and the vertical members l9adjacent their respective channel members 24 and 25 to complete thestructure or the main frame.

A bearing unit indicated generally at 28 serves to connect the disk [4at a fixed position on the adjacent vertical member for rotation aboutthe axis of the unit. The unit includes a bolt 28 extending through thedisk I ll, throu h the center of a bearing 30, and through the adjacentvertlcal member 19. A housing 3! for the bearing 30 is secured at 32 tothe disk 14.

A similarly housed bearing unit 33 is provided for the disk iii, thebolt 34 of this unit extending through the disk IS, the bearing '35, anda supporting element 35. The element 36 is parallel with the adjacentvertical member 19 of the frame and has its ends reduced at 87 and 38 sothat they will be slideable in their respective channels 24 and 25. Thechannels, in addition to supporting the element 36, its bearing unit 33and disk l5, hold the element 36 against rotation but free for lateralmovement toward and away from the disk H. The element 36 is normallyurged toward the disk I by springs 40, the righthand ends beingconnected in any suitable manner to the adjacent ends of the elements,their opposite ends extending through apertures 4| in the verticalmember [9 adjacent the disk l4.

A brake element 43, carrying a brake pad 44, extends laterally of thedisks so that the pad 44 will normally rest on the peripheries of thedisks i4 and IS. A substantially U-shaped bracket 45 has its legs 46extending through apertures in the ends of the brake element 43, the extreme ends of the legs being bent inwardly at" 4'! and receivable in anydesired one of the plurality of sets of apertures 48 in the verticalmembers l9.

In the present illustration the filled supply reel I0 is supported bythe disks l4 and i5 and is normally held against rotation by the brakingelement 43. When the strand is tensioned in pulling a desired lengthfrom the reel, the pad is lifted out of contact with the disks to permit3. free rotation, but as soon as the tension is relleved, as by cuttingoff the desired length of strand, the pad returns to its brakingposition to prevent further unwinding of the strand. It will be notedthat the recesses l6 and I! in the disks are formed to completelyreceive the reel heads serving not only as the positive support for there el-butto center the reel with the axis of rotation-of the disks.Furthermore, the bearing units, including particularly their housings orcover members, contain suflicient play so that the disks may find theiraligned connections with the head of the reel. In other words, the units28 and 33 are slightly movable or wobbleable with respect to their truecenters so that the inner faces of the recesses 16 and I! maylie flushwith the outer faces of the heads of the reel.

When the reel I 0 becomes empty, it may be readily removed by theoperator moving the element 33 to the right, Fig. 3, sufliciently tofree the reel from between the disks and, in a similar manner, the diskscan be spaced to receive a filled reel.

Although specific improvements of the invention have been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that they are but illustrative and thatvarious modifications may be made therein without departing from thescope and spirit of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fixture for rotatably supporting a strand supply reel comprisingdisks formed to support the heads of a strand supply reel, fixedposition means to support one of the disks for rotation, means mountedfor movement toward and away from the last named means to rotatablysupport the other disk, means to normally urge the movable supportingmeans with its disk toward the other disk to support the reel forrotation between .the disks, and a brake element mounted to rest on theperipheries of the disks to normally hold them and the reel againstrotation and movable free of the disks by a strand being pulled from thereel to move the element free of the disks.

2. A fixture for rotatably supporting a strand supply reel comprisingdisks formed to support the heads of a strand supply reel, a unit towobbleably but not displaceably support one of the disks 4 for rotation,means mounted for movement toward and away from the unit to rotatablysupport the other disk, and means to normally urge the movablesupporting means with its disk toward the other disk to support the reelfor rotation between the disks.

3. A fixture for rotatably supporting a strand supply reel comprising aframe including spaced supports connected by spaced channel members, abearing member mounted on one of the supports, a supporting memberhaving its ends disposed in the channel members, held against rotationthereby but movable toward and away from the bearing member, anotherbearing member mounted on the supporting member in central alignmentwith the first bearing member, disks, having recesses in their innerfaces to receive, center and support heads of a strand supply reel,mounted centrally on their respective bearing members, springs disposedin the channel members and connected to the supporting member tonormally urge the supporting member with its bearing member and disk tocause the reel to be firmly held by the disks, a brake element extendingacross the peripheries of the disks to normally hold them and the reelagainst rotation, and means to pivotally support the element formovement free of the disks by a strand pulled from the reel to free thedisks and reel for rotation.

MORRIS Z. RABINOW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 21,995 Mueller Jan. 6, 194271,291 Fewkes Nov. 26, 1867 865,664 Votey Sept. 10, 1907 r 1,196,740Palmer Aug. 29. 1916 1,684,951 Dowdall Sept. 18, 1928 2,213,764 HermannSept. 3, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 192,114 Germany Dec.13, 1907 539,545 Germany Nov. 27, 1931

